Old Man Herbert and his exciting journey - Page Text Content

1: Ever since Herbert could remember, he had a passion for all types of athletics.

2: Many sports like baseball, football, track, basketball, and soccer helped in keeping his body in shape.

3: What Herbert didn't know is all of the sports had a dire effect on his joints. He was conditioning his heart and lungs, but the cartilage in his knees was giving in.

4: Sixty years down the road, Herbert was know as a typical old, stubborn man. He had to use a cane to perform simple daily tasks like walking and going to the bathroom.

5: The pain was slowly getting worse, and many family members tried to convince him to see a doctor, but he refused. Herbert had became a completely different person. His pain drove him mad and he threatened everyone that came near him.

7: After a few months of the excruciating pain, Herbert finally convinced himself to go to the doctor. When he arrived he was confronted by a nice gentleman who turned out to be his doctor. The doctor tried everything to make Herbert talk, but nothing worked. He asked "Did you play any sports as a teen?" Herbert's eyes lit up like Christmas lights. It turned out sports were the key to getting him to talk. Herbert began to tell him stories of his youth and of his athletic achievements.

8: Herbert happily told him the stories about his high school career as the head jock. He was the only person at his school to beat every track record in a single year. Many said he was Olympic material, but Herbert had to much going on with his family to enter.

9: The doctor asked about other sports. Herbert mentioned that he was the head quarter-back for three years on his high school football team. "We were undefeated for those three years." The doctor then said "Wow. I was never good at sports. Alright, I'll call you when the X-Rays come in."

10: The next day the doctor called Herbert with some bad news. He told Herbert that his X-Rays showed tremendous wear on part of his knee. He recommended a partial knee replacement to help ease his pain. Herbert asked "What about the pain in my hip?"

11: The doctor replied "You also have a great deal of wear on the joint of your hip. This will need to be replaced as soon as possible, but the bright side is you won't have to use a cane after the therapy."

12: The smile on Herbert's face was the first since his pain had begun.

13: The day for Herbert's surgery had finally arrived. He was wheeled in and sat patiently in a waiting room. Herbert looked scruffy and was told not to shave. | After many weeks....

14: After a long surgery, Herbert was hospitalized to help the wounds recover. He dreamed about the activities he could return to once he healed. | Many hours later.

15: The doctor then came in to visit Herbert and asked "How are you feeling?" Herbert replied "Doc.. I feel like a million bucks even though I just had surgery." The doctor smiled and proceeded to show him the diagrams.

16: He looked at Herbert and said "The knee on the left was your knee prior to surgery. The knee on the right is what it currently looks like. You now have a piece of metal and plastic that functions like a real knee." Herbert's mouth hit the floor and he asked the doctor "Does this mean I'm part machine?" The doctor chuckled and said "Unfortunately no."

17: He then continued to show Herbert a picture of his hip. He said " Your new hip is completely metal and you'll have no more bone rubbing on bone. The X-Ray before showed that your cartilage was completely missing. It was replaced by a piece of polyethylene plastic." Herbert was shocked by the technology used in his surgery.

18: Herbert was released from the hospital and then put into physical therapy. He was given a walker to help him with regaining strength in his legs.

19: Herbert felt like a teenager again even though he still had to use a walker.

20: A few months later, Herbert receives a call from his doctor. He said " Herbert. I am glad to inform you that this is your last week of physical therapy. After this week, you are able to do anything that your body can handle." Herbert jumped for joy over the good news.

21: That next week he was finally able to run again after sixty years of pain and a sedentary lifestyle. He entered in the senior citizen marathon and came out a gold medalist. Herbert had regained his old life back and wouldn't trade it for anything. | THE END